X - Blue Witch
by TweetyGhost
Summary: When an old friend of Scott and Stiles' returns to Beacon Hills, can the dynamic duo protect their friends from the supernatural and the new mysteries that begin cropping up? Or, will they be thrust into more adventures because of it? (Mainly following Olivia [OC] and Stiles in the narratives). [Not working on it at the moment]
1. Prologue

The sun was out in Beacon Hills, meaning that the smell of barbeques floated on the air, drifting further afield than the few back gardens that they came from. The laughter of children celebrating the first day of summer could be heard all over, including a few giggling adults who were happy that they could finally relax. Yet, the Cobalt house appeared to have a bubble of sombreness about it.

People were whispering inside, casting sideways glances at the five-year-old who was sat on the stairs, looking wistfully at the front door, her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. A few of the adults were distracting themselves from the awkwardness that hung in the air by trying to stop their children from asking difficult questions. 0thers were focused on their drinks, checking their watches every few minutes though as they waited for a sociably acceptable time to leave. There was soft music undercutting the mumblings, something which Charles Yale had insisted upon, stating that it would in fact be the best for 'the poor child.'

'It's just terrible,' said Charles to anyone who would listen to him. His eyes were on his drink as he spoke though. He wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder in a comforting gesture, one that he didn't often show, yet had done so several times over the course of the afternoon. 'We'll have to put the poor dear into a care home, I suppose.' His eyes never left his drink. Even when he took another swig of whisky, his gaze was focused on the honey coloured liquid sloshing around in the glass.

'No,' said Oscar firmly, the slight Irish twang to his voice instantly recognisable. The statement snapped Charles's attention away from his drink. The young man's jaw was set in annoyance, his grey eyes narrowed dangerously. 'No, you won't, as she's going to be staying with me. It's what Rosa would've wanted.'

Georgie, Charles's wife, gave a tinkling laugh which seemed utterly out of place in the sombre faced crowd. A few of those closest to them looked around, but pity slipped quickly onto their faces as they realised who it was. They frowned towards her slightly, before turning back to their conversations once more.

'I'm sorry to burst you illusionary bubble of naivety, Oscar darling, but Olivia has to go through the system,' she explained, her voice dripping with a familiarly condescending tone.

Rage washed over Oscar's face, causing Charles to step back inadvertently, fear clouding his features. Georgie, however, stood firm, pouting slightly. Her gaze was flickering over Oscar's shoulder though, irritation glinting behind her eyes.

A hand was placed lightly on Oscar's shoulder, making him jump around. Behind him stood Claudia, a small, warm smile on her face despite how her attention appeared to be on the other woman. Her husband, Richard, was beside her, his gaze critically flickering over the other couple.

'Glad you could make it,' said Georgie coolly, eyeing the new couple irritably.

After a few moments her eyes darted distastefully towards the young bundle of energy who was jumping from foot to foot in front of Olivia, a goofy smile on his face. His hands were waving on either side of his head, his thumbs touching his temples. Even from this distance, however, Georgie could see the worry behind his eyes at the lack of reaction he was gaining from his friend.

Georgie quickly returned her attention back towards the adults. 'I see you brought your son.'

'He wanted to make sure Olivia was alright,' said Claudia, but despite the sweetness to her voice there was a dangerous lilt to it too.

'How sweet?' sneered Charles, but a sharp glance from the deputy made him scuttle away, mumbling something about offering condolences to more of the family.

'I was just telling Oscar here about the plans to put our dear Olivia into a care home,' Georgie purred, as if the little tiff hadn't occurred.

Surprisingly, however, a hint of a smile flashed across Claudia's face as she turned to Richard. He nodded slightly, before patting Oscar lightly on the back.

'But, you can't do that. You're not her legal guardian,' said Claudia simply, there was a hint of self-satisfaction behind her voice as the other woman's calm persona began to slip.

'But I'm her aunt. I'm the only family she has left,' said Georgie though gritted teeth.

'That may be so,' said Claudia, casting a sideways glance at the children.

The little group appeared to have grown in the short space of time. Stiles had dragged Scott over to the stairs, and was moving the other boy as though he were a puppet – making him hit himself, ruffle Olivia's hair or else pulling faces at morbid looking passers-by. A small flicker of a smile could be seen on Olivia's face, but she moved a hand to hide it though. Beside her sat a nervous looking Teddy, fiddling awkwardly with his glasses.

'But,' Claudia continued, looking back towards Georgie, 'Oscar is her legal guardian.'

And that was the comment that broke Georgie's air of self-control. Her eyes burnt with annoyance as her gaze flickered over the trio in front of her. A slight snarl was pulling at the corners of her mouth, the sound of which caused the attention of those closest to the little group to snap towards them.

But, a moment later the woman cleared her throat slightly, brushing down the front of her dress as she did so to compose herself once more. 'Well,' she said coolly, her eyes narrowed dangerously towards Oscar, 'at least she'll have someone to hug when she has no roof over her head.'

Her eyes narrowed as she scanned his ragged suit, which hung off of his frame. There was the odd spot of dirt on it, stains that appeared to have been washed into fadedness. Her attention then flickered towards his nephew, who was picking his way through the crowd towards the other children while his attention appeared glued on the plate of food which was piled precariously tall. The boy's suit was at least a size too small, the sleeves were far too short and there were worn patches on the elbows. There was a slightly different material occasionally where someone, possibly previous owners, had tried to fix it up.

There was a sneer on her face when she looked back towards the trio. 'Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to pay my respected to my late sister and her husband,' she said coolly, before skulking through the crowded living room.

Oscar gave a sigh of relief, running a hand through his dishevelled hair as he turned towards Claudia. 'Did you mean that?' he asked, his eyes shining slightly with tears, but there was a small, hopeful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Richard spoke up though, a slight happiness behind his pale blue eyes. 'The lawyer asked us to find a Mr Oscar Cooper this morning. He'd looked over the will for Cruella DeVille–' Claudia nudged him lightly in the ribs, a slight smirk on her face though as he shrugged at her slightly '–and it said that you were Olivia's legal guardian.'

'Does…' Oscar started, before gulping slightly.

He wetted his lips, glancing over at the little girl as his nephew Patrick settled to lean on the handrail bedside her. Scott was now in control of Stiles, though it seemed as though the latter was doing everything in his power to make Olivia smile with the act, going as far as nicking Teddy's glasses.

'Does Olivia know?' he asked after a beat, looking back towards the deputy.

Richard shook his head, a slight smile on his face as he clapped the other man's shoulder lightly. 'No, we thought it'd be best if she heard it from you.'

'Especially as I hear you and Pat're planning on travelling,' said Claudia, a sad smile on her face as Lucy bounded between the trio, making her way quickly towards her friends. They watched as the girl pulled Olivia into a tight hug, stumbling slightly as she nudged Stiles in her hurry.

Oscar nodded slightly though, averting his gaze to his scuffed shoes. 'I thought it'd be for the best if we got out of here,' he said softly. 'A fresh start and all that might do us all some good.' He sighed at the admittance. He was running away again. Like he always did when things got too much it seemed.

 _Right, this is my first attempt at a Teen Wolf Fanfiction, so please let me know what you think._

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	2. Olivia: Chapter One - Beacon Hills Again

Olivia lent forward, her elbows resting beside the headrests as she glanced between the two men. Oscar's attention was focused on the road while Patrick's was on the map which he had on his lap.

She was about to ask where they were heading when the sign for Beacon Hills rushed past them. The question died on her lips, and curiosity bubbled inside of her.

'We're coming back here?' she asked, watching the sign slide away from them in the rear-view mirror.

Patrick let out a low groan, causing Olivia to look at him, an eyebrow raised. The older boy didn't look at her though, merely placed a hand lightly on her forehead and pushed her back into the seat. Oscar scoffed slightly at the action, and Olivia could just make out a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth, his attention remaining on the road though.

'No, Liv,' Patrick practically spat, still not sparing her a glance, 'it's a figment of your imagination.'

Olivia's eyes narrowed in annoyance, and she balled her hands on her knees. She was resisting the urge to hit him around the back of the head, but only just.

'Easy boy,' she said cuttingly, 'I'm sure there's a good kennel 'round here we can leave you in if you're not careful.'

Patrick growled, turning in his seat to finally look at her, the comment having hit the intended nerve. His eyes were glowing yellow, his teeth bared in a snarl as Olivia shrunk back in her seat slightly so that she was teasingly just out of his reach.

The annoyance, surprisingly, didn't last long though, as Oscar quickly rested a hand lightly on his nephew's lower arm, his own eyes darting up to the rear-view mirror so as to look at Olivia. There was a slight amount of the familiar amusement behind his eyes, but also a hint of disapproval at the choice of insult.

'Pat, breathe,' he said softly, rubbing his thumb over Patrick's arm for a moment before placing his hand back on the steering wheel. 'And you,' he said, his eyes narrowing in the mirror slightly before he focused on the road again, 'play nicely.'

She, however, grinned as Oscar's attention flicked to the mirror, searching the road this time before he flicked the indicator. But, Olivia put her right hand up, three fingers up while her thumb kept her little finger close to her palm. 'Brownies' honour,' she said, smirking as she noticed him roll his eyes.

With a sigh Olivia turned her attention back towards the scenery which was sliding past her window. The typical American suburban housing area contrasted greatly with the places they'd lived over the years – from the boat off the coast of Spain to the little council flat in London – yet there was something oddly calming about seeing it.

But, it was different to how she'd remembered it. She knew that over ten years had passed since she'd been there last. She knew that a lot had happened in that time. And yet, despite how she still clung to the happy memories that she had from there, she couldn't help but be terrified of being back.

Oscar took another turning, and a house slid into view which made Olivia's heart skip a beat. She knew that Patrick had heard it because his eyes had flicked worriedly up to the rear-view mirror, his gaze resting quickly on her. She attempted to smile at him, trying to remain calm. An excitement was growing alongside the fear.

She quickly turned her attention back to the house.

The stonework was a dark grey colour, flecked with a section of cream, and appeared to be lighter than it had been previously; _though_ , Olivia reasoned, _that might have something to do with the fact the sky looks as though it's about to open up and tip it down_. The grass was longer than the length most people let it grow to, but shorter than she'd anticipated, causing a slight smile to slip onto her face at the idea of the Thompsons looking out for the house after all that time. The bushes, which were scattered around the edge of the garden like little guards, were a mess of tangled sticks and weeds, so much so that Olivia couldn't remember if they were once decorative flowers or just another thing which had decided to pop up in the little forest-like garden. There was a large apple tree in the centre of it, one which looked about twice the width of normal trees, and its apples were strewn around the garden, a mixture of whole and partially eaten ones.

'Looks welcoming,' was the only thing that Olivia could mutter out. She'd desperately wanted to say something meaningful, but all she could muster was a cheap joke. Something to distance herself from the memories which were trying to force their way into her mind.

'So, it needs a bit of work,' admitted Oscar once the trio were out of the car. He popped the boot before glancing over at the others, both of whom looked thoroughly unimpressed. 'Hey it'll give us something to do this evening.'

He lifted the first box out of the boot, a bright smile on his face as he looked over at them, before wandering towards the house, whistling a little tune as he did so.

'And every evening for the next six weeks,' Olivia muttered, pulling out a suitcase as she glanced critically over the garden once more. There were a few patches of weeds dotted around, almost as if they were trying to make a pattern.

Patrick was already half-way down the pathway towards the front door, a box in his own arms, when he half-turned to look back at her, a rare smirk on his face.

'Now that–' he started, but before he could finish the statement he tripped over some weed that was creeping across the tarmac. The sound of shifting china came from the box, causing Olivia's eyes to widen as panic crossed Patrick's face. He steadied himself quickly though, before looking back at Olivia properly. She didn't even ty to hide her smirk, but she noticed that a smile was even turning the corners of Patrick's mouth. '–was an understatement and a half,' he finished, as if nothing had happened.

Olivia noticed that he carried on towards the front door with more care after that though. She laughed slightly before following him, jumping the weed as she did so, and moving ahead of him to hold the door open for him.

'I was trying to be optimistic for once in my life,' she said with a slight shrug.

'Why?' he asked, nodding his thanks to her as he brushed past her. There was still a cheeky smirk on his face though as he glanced at her over his shoulder, before carrying on towards the kitchen.

She went to reply, but a whistling from the top of the stairs caused her to look up.

Oscar was leaning over the banisters, a wide smile on his face. His mop of greying dark brown hair was sticking up, making it look even messier than normal.

'Everything looks okay,' he said, but there was a definite note of scepticism to his voice.

Olivia sighed at the comment though. Since the idea had come up to move back to Beacon Hills, Oscar had been worried about the effect it would have on her; she'd even overheard him talking it over with Melissa and Richard before announcing it to his two wards. Melissa had worried about the bad memories of the wake that her aunt and uncle had insisted upon making. The men, on the other hand, appeared to have been more worried about the couple themselves. Georgie had believed the house was her right and as such had caused a fuss when the idea of it being Olivia's had come into conversation. It was because of this tension that Oscar had had serious doubts about returning to the Cobalt house, certain that the couple might have done something over the years – even with Richard and the Thompson family looking out for it.

'My room's the one with the en suite,' said Oscar, smirking as a look of protest crossed Olivia's face. 'Hey, your old room's still the same if you want it.'

Olivia rolled her eyes. She'd decided upon not keeping the room as soon as the idea of coming back had been brought up. She'd look in on it for old times' sake, but that was the extent of it.

'Anyway,' said Oscar, straitening up and beginning down the stairs, 'you two can fight for your rooms if you want. Just try to keep it clean.' He was grinning mischievously as Patrick wandered to join them in the hallway.

'What, in a game of chess or something equally as fair to the both of us?' asked Olivia, following the duo out to the car again.

'Aw, come on, Liv, I'd go easy on you,' cooed Patrick, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Olivia wriggled away from him, taking the box of cutlery that Oscar held out for her. 'I mean, it'd be fairer for you if we stuck to chess,' she said as she began to walk back towards the house. 'We all know I could totally wipe the floor with you.'

The others laughed at that, though Olivia was certain she could hear a slight waver of worry behind Patrick's, which made her smirk.

It didn't take too long for the trio to unpack because they travelled reasonably light, even if they had made a few trips to the shops to get a few more things. They did also have a little assistance from the Thompsons, even with Teddy practically bounding around in excitement that his old neighbour was back.

Once the boxes were in their corresponding rooms, and Teddy had been dragged away to babysit his siblings, Oscar finally let the other two explore the house while he made them tea.

There were three other large rooms upstairs, along with Oscar's. A study, a guestroom, and Olivia's old one.

Olivia stopped outside of her old room when she reached the landing, her hand hovering over the handle. She scanned the peeling baby blue paintwork which revealed the white wood behind it. She could vaguely remember arguing with Scott about the colour – he'd told her that it was a boy's colour and argued the case, until she painted his dark red shirt blue that was. Teddy had helped her with the painting, swirling the paint slightly so that it dried oddly.

There was also a small hand-painted sign on the door, her name written on it in a black scrawl that was barely legible. There was a butterfly in the top left hand corner of the little plaque, carefully painted with a slight amount of glitter to make it stand out. She smiled at that, recalling how Stiles had tried to help her practice writing while Lucy had bounced excitedly beside Claudia as the woman carefully painted the butterfly.

'Hey,' said Patrick lightly, pulling Olivia from her reminiscences. She turned to face him, and noticed the flicker of a sad smile on his face. The notion irritated her slightly, but she tried to ignore it. 'You alright?'

Olivia shrugged the question off, moving towards the door opposite her old one, she vaguely remembered it leading to her father's study. 'I'll take this one,' she said, pushing the door open lightly.

Surprisingly, Patrick didn't argue, and as such the two of them were downstairs and sat on the sofa – Olivia curled in one corner while Patrick slouched back, resting his feet on top of one of the boxes – before Oscar had even brought the teas in. As they waited though Olivia could feel Patrick's gaze flickering worriedly towards her, something which she tried her best to ignore.

After the little tea break the trio began to unpack the kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms because they were the most urgent. As they worked Olivia go a few texts from Stiles as he tried to arrange their next Skype catch-up, something which Scott was aiding him with as after a few moments silence her phone would alert her to another text, one which tied in well with whatever Stiles had sent. She brushed them off though, trying to resist the urge to tell them the good news of her return. Wanting to make it a surprise for them when she could figure out the best way to break it to them… if Teddy hadn't already told the whole town about it that was.

The unpacking took them most of the evening, and when they eventually flopped back down on the sofa the sky was dark, the odd star struggling to be bright enough to be seen. The moon, however, was shining bright, but a cloud drifted in front of it while Olivia was looking out of the rain splattered window.

'Right, I reckon that's enough sorting out for one evening. What'd you guys think?' asked Oscar, resting his arms on the back of the sofa so that he was half-hugging the others.

Patrick nodded in agreement, yawning as he did so which caused the others to chuckle slightly. Olivia mumbled her agreement, looking down at her phone as she did so though.

Surprisingly she had a message, and it wasn't from one of the boys or any of her travelling friends checking up on how the more permanent move was going. But it certainly woke her up, and excitement bubbled in the pit of her stomach.

'I'm gonna go explore I think, if we're all done here for tonight,' she said, trying to keep her excitement under wraps as she stood up swiftly.

She noticed that the others glanced worriedly at each other. It was as if all tiredness had gone from their faces, and panic crossed their features instead.

'Come on,' she said, smirking slightly as she began towards the door, 'it's Beacon Hills, what's the worst that could happen?'

'I dunno,' said Oscar, rubbing a hand over his stubble covered jaw as he stood up. 'And that's what worries me.'

Olivia groaned slightly, stopping in the threshold of the door as she sent a text to Lucy. The thought of texting the boys had run through her mind, but something told her they already knew about this mystery.

 **Luce, got a plan to shock the boys. Coming to yours A.S.A.P.**

'Maybe I should–' Patrick started, the sofa groaning slightly as he finally stood up. But Olivia cut him off by swiftly moving towards the two men, and pulling them into a tight hug. She kissed them both on the cheeks before starting off once more.

'I'll be fine,' she said, flashing them a smile over her shoulder, one which she hoped oozed a reassuring confidence. 'Look, I've got my phone, and I've texted Lucy, and–'

'No exploring past eleven,' Oscar interrupted, an unfamiliar sternness crossing his face. 'You've got school tomorrow, remember?'

Olivia smiled, pocketing her phone with one hand as she pulled the front door open with the other. 'Promise,' she said, nodding slightly as she began out of the door. She paused on the doorstep though, glancing around at the others with a slight frown on her face. 'Don't I need a key?'

Oscar chuckled, the familiar adult chuckle for when a child suggests something which obviously isn't going to happen. 'So you can sneak in after midnight and pretend that you were here the entire time?' he asked, raising a sceptical eyebrow as he folded his arms across his chest.

Olivia mocked hurt at the accusation, but Oscar waved the dramatics off with a slight shake of the head. She sighed, slipping out into the cold evening. Rain splattered her as she pulled her bike from its leaning position on the wall. She grinned over at the two standing in the doorway though.

'Be careful,' said Oscar softly as Olivia got on her bike.

There was a worry on the two men's features that was unsettling her slightly, but she tried to focus on the reunion she'd soon be having, and the mystery they'd be dealing with.

'I always am,' she said, flashing them a cheeky grin before cycling away, trying to ignore the odd worry that was niggling at the back of her mind though.

 _So, here's chapter one. Hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think. Also, I'll be posting updates on Fridays - if you hadn't guessed :)_

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	3. Stiles: Chapter 2- Phone Calls and Plans

Stiles furrowed his brow as he scanned over the research which was lighting up his laptop screen once more. He held his pen between his fingers, resting his temple on the palm of his hand. He could feel the pen tapping his head lightly in a steady beat as the cogs of his mind whirled into action, searching for the right answer amongst the jumble of words. He could hear his dad moving around in the living room, shifting through the files that he'd brought home from the station earlier that day so as to write up a couple of reports.

After a few minutes of rereading the same section, Stiles's attention was no longer on the homework, but instead shifted to the shuffling of his father. Stiles groaned, a slight irritation at the homework washing over him. He dropped the pen onto his keyboard before looking over at his phone.

There were no new messages as he clicked the screen into life. He sighed, running a hand over his head.

Over the course of the evening he'd texted Olivia a few times trying to arrange their next Skype call, Lucy once or twice to check he had the right homework for Chemistry – the questions had gotten so jumbled up in his bag the previous week she'd insisted upon him checking questions before starting anything – and Scott a few times just because. Despite how Scott and Lucy had responded a few times earlier in the evening they'd gone quiet about half an hour earlier, leaving Stiles to wearily look over his homework in some sort of peace which was beginning to make his head ache.

 _Livy's probably asleep_ , he reasoned, slowly shutting the laptop off, _and Luce is… well, just Luce, and Scott sucks at responding._

The ringing of his dad's phone, however, snapped him from his wonderings about the others. His attention snapped quickly towards the doorway leading into the living room. A smirk slipped easily onto his face as he scrambled out of the chair, practically skidding towards the doorway. He leant back casually against the frame, trying to hear what his dad was saying.

'A body?' his dad asked, and Stiles peeked around the corner to watch as his father ran his hand through his hair.

His dad turned around slowly, his face slightly paler than normal. Stiles quickly hid behind the frame once more, his eyes wide in worry. He mumbled a curse as he hit his head lightly against the door frame though. That had been too close.

'Wait, wait, let me make sure I've got that.' His dad's voice was level, almost detached in the professional manner. It was a change which Stiles still couldn't quite get his head around whenever the phone was picked up. 'Two joggers found _half_ a body? Woman in her twenties?'

There was a note of weariness behind the Sheriff's voice as well though, one which made Stiles feel slightly bad. The workload appeared to be getting to his dad recently. Even when they had their small talks over dinner, something which was growing to be a rarity now, there was something behind his dad's conversation which made him seem as though there was always something else on his mind. It was something that Stiles had noticed over the past few months, but he couldn't quite put his finger on the reason for the change though.

Stiles shook his head clear, and tried to focus his attention on the information he was trying to gain.

His dad sighed. 'Call State police, we'll need to bring them in on this too. Make sure every officer's in the forest when I get there; I'll be there in ten minutes.'

Stiles scrambled back towards the table, slipping into the seat just as his dad emerged from the living room.

'Alright, Dad?' asked Stiles, trying to look at his father innocently as he slung his arm over the back of the chair.

The Sheriff's expression was one of subtle distrust, but he appeared to get over it quickly as he ran a hand through his hair once more.

'Dispatch called,' he explained, frowning over at Stiles for a moment.

Stiles looked down at his work, realising that a few papers had fallen to the floor. A slight blush began to burn his cheeks, and he hastily moved to collect them, chuckling nervously as he did so.

'Oh yeah?' he asked, trying to keep his tone an acceptable level of curious, despite how he was already trying to compose a text to Scott about his exploration plan in his head.

He sat back on his heels when the papers were in a pile, looking up at his dad who was already beginning to collect his things up.

'I dunno when I'll be back,' his dad told him, clipping things absently to his belt. It was a routine Stiles was sure his father could do in his sleep by now.

'Why?' Stiles asked, his eyes lighting up with interest as he moved back to the table.

His dad's attention flicked back towards him, just as Stiles reached out for his phone. The Sheriff's attention moved back to his belt quickly though, making sure things were secure before he patted his pockets down.

'It's a big case,' his dad said cryptically, still looking around for something though, a confusion settling on his features.

Stiles smirked slightly as he texted Scott.

 **Stop whatever you're doing, I've got big news.**

'Keys,' his dad mumbled, making Stiles look up quickly.

The boy smirked, jumping up and walking towards the kitchen counter. He slid his dad's keys off of the side before shaking them, letting them jingle loud enough to catch his dad's attention. The Sheriff looked over at him, a slight look of relief crossing his features as he clapped slightly before holding his hands out, a small smirk slipping onto his face. Stiles grinned before chucking them at him.

The man caught them with ease before stuffing them into a pocket. 'Behave,' he said, a stern look crossing his face before he wandered towards the front door.

'I always do,' said Stiles, a cheeky grin plastered on his face though as he followed his dad. He was already typing another text to Scott though, his excitement bubbling over at the prospect of helping his dad solve the case.

 **Hey, are you ignoring me? Anyway, we're going evidence finding.**

His dad scoffed in response, and when Stiles looked up he could see a slightly amused glint behind his father's eyes.

'Sure you don't need me to come too?' tried Stiles, moving forward slightly.

The Sheriff's expression grew stern as he held up a hand, making his son stop instantly. 'I'm sure,' he said firmly as he pulled the door open. 'Remember, bed at a reasonable time.'

'How can I sleep when you're out there–?'

The stern glare from his father cut Stiles' sentence short though.

Stiles groaned, tilting his head back as he did so. He threw his arms up in exasperation for effect. 'Okay,' he whined.

His father gave a slightly relieved smile. 'G'night, Stiles,' he said, patting the boy lightly on the shoulder before leaving, closing the door softly behind him.

Stiles waited in the hallway until he heard the car move off the driveway, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he did so. As soon as the front drive was silent he began to scramble up the stairs, dialling Scott as he did so.

The phone went to voicemail, but that didn't stop Stiles, his words were tumbling out in an excited babble as soon as the tone rung out.

'Hey, Scott,' he said, already grabbing his torch as he padded into his room. He held his phone between his shoulder and ear as he began to shift things so as to find his own keys. 'I've gotta sort things out here but I'm coming to pick you up soon, no excuses. Aha,' he said, grabbing his keys. He held them triumphantly up in the light for a moment before stuffing them into a pocket. 'See you in a bit.'

He hung up before stuffing the phone into his other pocket, glancing around his room for a moment. He frowned, trying to figure out what else he might need. He rubbed the back of his neck out of habit as he thought, a contemplative frown slipping onto his face.

After a moment Stiles hit his forehead lightly, before racing out of his room, skidding out of his door as he gripped the doorframe to help him around it. He bounded down the stairs, taking two at a time. He raced into the kitchen, just as his phone went off.

He picked it up quickly, not even looking at the caller I.D., before placing it between his shoulder and ear once more.

'Hey, you ready to go crime solving, Scott?' he asked as he tidied his homework away.

There was a soft chuckle on the other end of the phone that made him pause, a look of confusion crossing his face as he moved to hold the phone properly.

'Luce?' he asked, piling the papers on top of his laptop.

'You texted me like five times asking about question nine,' she said, the lilt of amusement behind her voice. 'I was having dinner at the time. But, I'm guessing you figured it out as you don't seem to be worrying about it anymore.'

'Oh,' said Stiles, gathering his things up in one arm before he began back upstairs, 'um, yeah, I managed to do it. I-I, um, was just joking around about–'

'You don't have to explain in-jokes you have with Scott to me,' she said, and he could practically hear the eye roll behind her voice. 'But, I'll let you get back to crime solving then, Poirot.'

The end of call tone sounded just as Stiles walked into his room. He groaned slightly, putting his things on the desk. He glanced at the phone accusingly for a second, as if Lucy would understand his frustration at her for somehow. But he quickly shrugged though, before dialling Scott once more.

He grabbed his car keys off of the bedside table before practically racing out of the house. Scott's voicemail message sounded again though as he reached the door.

'Hey, I'm on my way to get you; you'd better be ready,' he said, before hanging up just as he pulled the door open, patting his pocket to double check his keys before stepping out into the cool evening.

 _A/N: So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you thought please._


	4. Olivia: Chapter Three - A Decent Mystery

_A/N: Warning of mild threat towards the end - nothing that hasn't been explored in the TV show though._

'Come along, Watson,' said Olivia as she darted behind one of the larger trees.

She glanced back at Lucy, a wide smile plastered on her face as she shifted her grip on the torch, showering Lucy in light. Her friend squinted, putting her arm over her eyes for moment before Olivia pointed the torch down slightly, illuminating the fallen tree which was just behind her. Lucy, however, rolled her eyes, shaking her head a little, before strolling towards the other girl, her own torch by her side, illuminating the floor ahead of her.

'How comes I'm Watson?' Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow and resting her hands on her hips, just before Olivia peered dramatically around the tree trunk at the route ahead.

'Take it as a compliment, Lu,' said Olivia, smiling over at her friend brightly as she pushed herself away from the tree before darting up the hill. 'I mean, I'm saying that you're a very kind, considerate people person.'

'While also implying that you're the super smart Holmes?'

Olivia shrugged dismissively. She heard Lucy gave a deep sigh, causing Olivia to look around. Her friend was scaling the hill, using her hands on the floor to keep herself steady every so often. Olivia smirked at the scene before carrying on, a little slower now so as to shallow her own breathing.

'Remind me again,' said Lucy as Olivia finally reached the top of the little hill, 'why, on your first night back here in over ten years, we're out looking for a dead body?'

'Because there's nothing better to do in Beacon Hills.' Olivia shrugged slightly, just as she felt Lucy step up beside her.

'Could've done the normal thing of a movie night with me and the boys.'

Olivia glanced towards her, a sceptical eyebrow raised. 'Because there being a dead body in the woods would totally have escaped their attentions too.' Olivia's voice dripped with sarcasm as she smirked over at Lucy.

Lucy's eyes narrowed slightly at the dig. 'Remind me again, Livy, how you – having only arrived no more than five hours ago, no less – heard about this body?'

Olivia's eyes widened slightly as she rubbed the back of her head nervously, her attention on the star speckled sky. The tree branches were swaying in the light wind, causing rain to splatter onto the duo.

'I… I, um,' started Olivia, but the sound of sirens made her stop dead. She glanced over at the paling Lucy, the girl's green eyes were wide in panic.

'Run!' Lucy said, pulling at Olivia's arm.

They ran on for a little while, Olivia slightly behind. Her attention kept flicking behind her, checking that they weren't being followed.

'You hacked their radio,' accused Lucy, and there was a definite done of disapproval in her voice; but also a slight amount of amusement underlying it. 'Didn't you?'

'Car shouldn't… have told me that… Rich was the Sheriff. It made it all… too easy,' Olivia was barely able to explain through her panting.

'And that makes it better how, exactly?' asked Lucy, and Olivia could practically hear the raised eyebrow that Lucy had through the tone alone.

Olivia didn't respond, instead she glanced over her shoulder again. She assumed the police would have the dogs with them, given that they were looking for a body and all. A slight relief washed over her though when she noticed that nothing appeared to be chasing them.

But, in the split second that her attention had been away from Lucy, the other girl had disappeared into the darkness.

Olivia padded to a stop in a small clearing after a little longer, turning around in a circle as she scanned the trees, her torch raised slightly.

'Lu?' she called, seeing nothing more than the shadows of the forest. 'Lucy, this isn't funny,' she continued, the panic rising in her chest. She pushed the hair off of her face, squinting slightly at the shadows. 'Hey, you've made your point. Come on, I promise I won't do it again… okay, for about a week, but still, it's something, right?'

A twig snapped somewhere behind her, making her jump. She brought the torch around quickly, raised at about head height as if it were a weapon.

But she couldn't see anything. She squinted at the darkness around the edges of the torchlight, trying to make anything out. But, once again, she had no luck.

'Damn,' she muttered.

Before she could call out again, however, something collided with the back of her head, making pain blossom through her skull as she collapsed. The torch rolled away, stopping just out of her reach and illuminating the woodland around her in an eerie half-light.

She tried to push herself onto her back so as to see what had hit her, but the darkness of unconsciousness began to creep around the edges of her vision, threatening to overcome her. She groaned slightly, collapsing again. She could practically hear the pain pounding through her skull.

The darkness was drawing in quickly. Her head was spinning. She couldn't focus on anything for more than a few seconds. But, despite all that, she could make out a face slipping into her view.

'What are you?' a cool voice ponded. But, despite how close the person was, their voice sounded as though it were far away and under water. The words didn't seem to match up with the movements of their mouth. Even when Olivia blinked hard in the hopes of bringing the world back into sink, there was still the unsettling delay.

Olivia went to reply, a desperate hope that if she kept thinking she'd remain conscious. But her thought was cut short as something smashed into her forehead, turning the world completely black.

When Olivia eventually regained consciousness she groaned at the pounding ache in her skull. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking the world back into a somewhat fuzzy existence. She went to move her hands, so as to rub her eyes clear, but the cold bite of metal on her wrists caused panic to flare in her chest, waking her up instantly.

She glanced upwards slightly, noticing that her hands were handcuffed to a metal meshing. Her wrists were already slightly red, and her hands were tingling from a numbness that only came from having her hands raised above her heart for too long.

 _How long was I out for?_ she wondered, trying to move her fingers to regain the feeling in them.

Her panic was rising. She could feel bile threatening to rise despite how constricted her throat felt because of the whole situation. She could feel the prickle of tears behind her eyes. She could hear her heart pounding against her chest, the sound thumping in her ears.

 _It's okay_ , she thought bitterly, desperately trying to keep herself calm, _at least if there's pain. You're alive_.

Something in the back of her mind, however, was reminding her that they'd not found the body. And that, for all she knew, she was well on her way to becoming victim number two – at least.

Her panic flared up once more. Her eyes darted around the darkness, trying to find something which might help her. But then, something clicked. Lucy wasn't there. Olivia let a low sigh of relief escape her, hoping that her friend was safe then.

'Aha,' a cool voice said from the darkness to her right, causing her to jump.

She struggled against the cuffs, ignoring the burning sensation that it made ebb around her wrists. She was sure that she could hear her heartbeat echoing around the empty cavern, mixed in with the cold metal tinging.

'The Sleeping Beauty's finally awake,' the voice said once Olivia finally stopped struggling, an uneasy despair washing over her.

'Wh-what do you want?' she asked, her voice coming out in barely more than a terrified squeak. It had felt, however, as though the simple question had clawed its way up her throat to escape. Her mouth was dry. She tried to gulp, but the roughness only seemed to get worse.

'You're British,' the voice stated, a slight tone of curiosity behind it.

Despite everything a sarcastic remark bubbled up inside of Olivia, but she bit the inside of her lip to suppress it.

However, there had been no need to. The comment had died on the tip of her tongue as a man emerged partially from the darkness. He had cool blue eyes that seemed to be searching the girl for answers. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, but noticed that one half of his face remained in the shadows, distorted from view.

He rested a hand on a small metal table to his right, pulling Olivia's attention towards it sharply. Dangerous looking implements littered the thing, sending a cold shiver down her back. She bit down on her lip, hard, trying to prevent a squeak from escaping her as her eyes flickered towards one of the more threatening looking tools; one which was glinting tauntingly in the bright light a few inches above the table.

The man tapped the metal for a moment, before his hand moved to grip a water bottle.

'Want a drink?' he asked, his tone scarily placid, almost as if he'd been asking about the weather. 'I'm afraid it's just water, not tea.'

He gave a slight chuckle before moving forwards quickly. The movement shocked Olivia into squeaking as she tried to pull away from him. Somehow, however, his face remained in the shadows, but she could still see that a small self-satisfied smirk had slipped onto it.

A fresh wave of tears began to well up in Olivia's eyes as she struggled for a few more seconds. All she'd wanted to do was go exploring. She'd hoped that they'd bump into the boys simultaneously though, allowing them to have a surprise reunion as they helped Richard solve the latest case.

She blinked hard though, trying to get rid of the tears and the sense of helplessness. She was determined not to show the fear she was feeling, assuming that was the reaction the guy was after. She was determined to stay strong. To hold out for as long as she could in the hopes that someone might come to help her, or – though she doubted it – that she'd find a way out herself. But, if not…

She shook her head slightly, trying to dispel the other thought. Knowing that kind of thinking was of no use.

'No thank you,' she said, trying to sound cold. She could hear her voice shaking though.

The man tutted slightly, unscrewing the bottle slowly. 'There's no need to be scared of a little water,' he said, moving with a surprising speed to grip Olivia's chin. She could feel the bottle cap pushing against her chin as he dug his nails into her cheeks slightly.

For a split second though, his whole face was in the light. The right side of it looked burnt, reminding Olivia of Two-Face. A look of panic crossed behind his eyes. But the moment passed quickly, and he forced Olivia to drink.

'I mean,' he said after a few moments, finally stepping back into the shadows, 'how're you going to answer some simple questions with a dry mouth?'

Olivia had gulped down most of the water, the need to be hydrated having washed over her suspicion. But, as soon as the bottle was away from her, she stopped. A recklessness swept over her, and she spat the final mouthful out at the man. A lot of it hit his face, something which she would have found hilarious in other any situation.

Now, however, her eyes widened in fear as she noticed a familiar anger burning behind the man's eyes. It was an anger that she'd seen on Patrick's face a few times, one which usually preceded a transformation. But the man's eyes remained a steady blue colour, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

He gave a slightly hollow chuckle before wandering back towards the little table.

'That,' he said slowly, his hand hovering over some of the implements, 'was a bad move. I was going to take it easy on you.' He rested a hand on a large knife, causing Olivia to supress a scoff at the comment – she was certain he never had any intention of 'going easy' – and whimper as his fingers curled around the handle of it. 'But, I think you've proved to be more a bratty teenager than a decent mystery.'

'M-mystery?' asked Olivia. Her head was spinning, thoughts pushing themselves to the forefront of her mind. Each one was jostling for her attention, but she didn't know where to start.

The cold metal ting echoing around the room cut the thoughts off though, and Olivia's eyes quickly darted towards the knife in his hand.

'Yes,' he said, turning quickly on his heel so that the knife glinted threateningly in the light. 'A mystery of a supernatural. Want to tell me what you are?'

Olivia gulped, but there was a lump in her throat that made it difficult.

'A-a teenager,' she stuttered, trying to keep her eyes focused on the man rather than the knife.

He gave another cold chuckle, advancing on her slowly. 'Oh,' he said, smiling slightly as he brought the knife up to his eye line, as if to examine it, 'I was hoping you'd say that.'

 _A/N: Right, so please let me know what you think. I thought I'd warn you that this is going on a hiatus for a little while. I'm thinking of reworking some of this anyway so it might be the last update - I haven't decided yet, but we'll see. But I will be trying to work on some other things as well - like the old stories I still have here and a Teen Wolf/Harry Potter crossover.  
_

 _Anyway, yeah, hope you enjoyed it._


	5. Olivia: Chapter Four - Unexpected Help

The door being opened made Olivia open her eyes quickly. Fear flared inside of her once more, a feeling which she was beginning to become accustomed to. She blinked, he brain slowly kicking into motion; it seemed that despite everything she'd been able to doze off while the man had been gone. Now, however, she squinted at the darkness, searching for the loathsomely familiar figure.

Pain blossomed all over her body, the burning sensation of a hit or the stinging of a cut were no longer distinguishable to her. Her throat was raw from crying out, and each time she swallowed it felt as though there were tiny pin-pricks scratching against it. She could feel the stickiness of tears on her cheeks, trials which were beginning to irritate her as she couldn't wipe them away. The embers of pride burnt in the pit of her stomach though. She was sure that she'd lasted for a fair amount of time. She tried not to think about how much longer she could last for though.

'Fancy seeing you here,' she muttered when she couldn't find the figure, certain that this was just another of his little games. She downcast her eyes with a slight sigh, trying to mentally prepare herself for what was to come.

Surprisingly, however, the slow steps stopped at the comment; she looked up sharply. A rekindled sense of panic clawed inside of her, winning over any other feelings.

'Who are you?' an unfamiliar voice asked, there was an underlying tone of confusion to it. Olivia was sure there was a slight amount of pity there too, but she couldn't be certain.

She coughed slightly, trying to clear her throat. The scratching only got worse though, but she persisted. 'I-I'm Olivia. C-can you help m-me, b-before he get b-back?'

The person slowly moved forward, their footsteps somewhat cautious. They moved to the edge of the darkness, still cloaked by it though, but Olivia could make out their dark silhouette.

'Who?' he asked.

Olivia felt her sense of unease increase. She felt as though the guy was stalling. What if he was still there when the other man returned? What if this was part of the torment though? What if it was a new sense of hope just for him to dash it all over again?

She shook her head slightly. It was a hope that she couldn't stop though.

'I-I don't know,' she barely whispered, pulling pathetically at the handcuffs as she did so. 'Please.' She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but she was past the point of caring about them. Past the stage where pleading for help from a stranger only sent her mind spiralling into embarrassment, cautionary comments and a sense of weakness that made her uncomfortable.

The guy blew air out of his nose before moving forward quickly. Olivia let out an inadvertent squeak, shrinking painfully back into the meshing as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. She could feel his hands to her right, fiddling with the handcuffs. She could still feel the tension in her shoulder though, despite the slight relief which washed over her at the realisation. He _was_ trying to help.

She opened her eyes slowly. The guy was so close that she couldn't focus on him properly. She could just about make out a little amount of black stubble covering his jaw though, contrasting with his pale completion.

'Pick the lock,' she barely muttered, her attention flicking back towards the darkness, keeping a cautious eye out, certain that blue-eyes was going to return.

'I've got a better idea,' he said simply.

He moved away slightly, and for a moment Olivia panicked that he was going to just leave her there. That he'd decided being the Good Samaritan was too much like hard work. That he was just going to save his own skin.

But, a second later, his arms were on either side of her head, gripping the handcuffs.

'Close your eyes,' he said simply.

Olivia chewed the inside of her lip nervously. _Blindly trust a stranger who just so happened to find this little pit of hell, or don't trust him at all at and stay here for as long as blue-eyes' patience lasts?_ she pondered.

She sighed after a moment, slowly closing her eyes.

The guy gave a grunt of approval before pulling at the handcuffs. Olivia didn't want to voice her scepticism, her was certain that pulling handcuffs apart was something that only happened in the films – or when she'd pushed Patrick too far, she was sure he could've done it.

But, a second later, the sound of breaking metal echoed around the little cove, causing Olivia to inhale sharply. Her arms quickly fell to her sides.

Her eyes shot open, and she noticed that the guy was once again in the darkness. She rubbed her wrists lightly, trying to take a step forward. Her legs were like jelly though, and she stumbled slightly, only to be caught by the man, his hands lightly on her elbows as she gripped his lower arms.

'You okay?' he asked, and despite how close he was there was a dizzying distance to his concerned voice.

She couldn't help but allow a slight sigh of relief to escape her as she nodded. A sense of ease was beginning to bubble in the pit of her stomach, but she didn't let it grow. She needed fresh air before she'd accept that everything was going to be fine.

She tried to move away from him, but her legs didn't want to take her weight and she stumbled a few steps further into the darkness. She grabbed the man's shirt, trying to steady herself. She felt his hand lightly on her back. A light-headedness washed over her.

'Come on,' the guy said, slipping his arm around her shoulders and nudging the back of her legs with his other, 'let's get you somewhere safe.'

Olivia went to protest, something in the back of her mind warning her about trusting her lucky escape once more, but she couldn't muster up the energy. She felt completely drained, and so allowed him to carry her out. As they moved through the darkened tunnels she tried to focus on the twists and turns that they were making, just in case, but her mind wouldn't focus.

When they eventually reached the outside world Olivia couldn't help but smile up at the star speckled sky. The cold air buffered her wounds, making them scream in pain as rain cooled her skin slightly, making her shiver. She tried to focus on a star, forcing her eyes to stay open. But the blackness of unconsciousness washed over her once more.

'On the outskirts of Beacon Hills Preserve,' the guy mumbled as Olivia finally woke up. There was something very authoritative about his voice, but also something different. It was as if he was deliberately making it a pitch or two lower.

She suddenly became aware that he was no longer close to her, and instead that there was a tree digging painfully into her back. Her head was pounding, making her a little scared to open her eyes. She didn't want to faint again, three times in the space of one evening was more than she'd done in her life so far, and it was more than enough.

The cool evening wind whistled past her, making her shiver. She pulled her jacket closer to her, just before she felt someone crouch beside her. She stiffened worriedly. She quickly became very aware of her heart pounding against her ribcage and the raggedness of her breathing as panic bubbled up once more.

She exhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves, before forcing her eyes open. A dizziness washed over her, the threatening darkness of unconsciousness creeping into her vision once more. She forced herself to focus though.

She could see the star speckled sky behind the figure; the clear land surrounding the dirt road up to the preserve. She could see the droplets of rain bouncing off the floor, a few bouncing back up while others settled in puddles. She blinked hard, trying to focus on the man in front of her.

And then, after a few seconds of focusing on the rain, her vision slowly growing fuzzy, she was able to focus on him.

He seemed paler in the eerie moonlight, and his black hair was plastered onto his forehead. He was a few years older than Olivia, possibly the same age as Patrick. But there was something about his demeanour that made him seem older. It was almost as though he'd seen too much already, seen enough to make anyone seem sour. A frown appeared to be stuck on his face as his eyes scanned her over, a slight hint of concern behind them.

'You're gonna be alright now,' he said softly. But his lips didn't match up with the words.

Olivia cursed herself mentally as she felt a familiar sickness rising, just before the darkness engulfed her once more.


	6. Stiles: Chapter Five - Surprise Reunions

'What have I told you about listening to my work calls?' asked Sheriff Stilinski, leaning on the window of Stiles' jeep while his son focused his attention on the dashboard, drumming a nervous tune on the steering wheel.

They were on the outskirts of the Preserve. The walk there had been one where tension hung in the air between them. The Sheriff had given Stiles the usual monologue about invasion of privacy, and how it was something which could land him in serious trouble. Stiles, however, had made the odd mumbled comment to show that he was listening. All the while, however, his thoughts kept going back to was Scott, like they were still.

How could he have left his friend all alone? Would Scott get back alright without a lift? He'd only been trying to keep his friend out of trouble by saying he wasn't there, but if Scott got caught now…

'Stiles?' his dad said in a slightly softer tone, pulling Stiles out of his worried thoughts.

Stiles blinked a few times before looking over at his dad. There was the slightly weary, slightly disappointed adult frown on his face, and the lines of stress which creased his forehead seemed deeper than normal. His pale blue eyes gave away how tired he was though, even if he'd not admitted it out loud yet. His shoulders were slightly slumped, something which Stiles always noticed happened when his dad had tough cases.

'You've told me not to do it,' said Stiles in a small voice, averting his eyes to the rubber of his window which he began to absently pick at.

His dad sighed. 'Alright, head home. I'll be there in a bit,' he said, patting the jeep lightly.

Stiles nodded, a frown on his face as he started the engine.

But, before he could pull away, his dad's phone went off, causing curiosity to build up inside of him once more.

'Hello?' the Sheriff said, his voice quickly shifting to the professional tone he always adapted; it was a shift which always brought a slight smirk to Stiles' face, no matter how many times he heard it. The Sheriff walked away from the car, but he was still close enough for Stiles to hear, despite the ticking over of the engine. 'Yeah, I'm close. Thanks.'

Stiles' dad looked towards him as he pocketed the phone, there was a look of uncertainty on his face. He sighed, massaging his temple lightly.

'Just remember,' he warned, walking around the other side of the jeep, Stiles' eyes followed him expectantly, 'you've got to stay in the car.'

Stiles' face lit up as he quickly put the jeep into gear. 'Of course,' he said as his dad got into the car. He tried to keep his excitement under control, worried that his dad might think better of it, but from the look on his father's face he could tell that it wasn't working. 'Where to then, Sheriff?'

'Just down the road a bit,' his dad said simply, his eyes already on the darkened edges of the preserve.

They'd not been driving long when the Sheriff finally patted the dashboard, causing Stiles to ease to a stop. His dad was already partway out of the car when it stopped completely, his door swinging open as Stiles killed the engine.

Stiles scrambled into the back of the car a moment later, searching for the torch that he'd chucked there earlier.

He moved the rubbish that littered the back seat, chucking things further into the boot so as to make sure they were out of his way. He cursed when he didn't find it, running a hand over the back of his neck before turning his attention to the back of the front seats. He sighed, slipping a hand under the front passenger seat while trying to keep his head above the window line to watch his dad though. Stiles groaned, noticing that his dad had his own torch out and was already searching.

Stiles watched as his dad steadily passed the light over the treeline. It looked as though whatever had caught his eye in the car was evading his gaze now. Though Stiles thought that might have something to do with the fact that he was snaking the light around a central point.

After circling the light around the trees for a moment longer the Sheriff slowly slid it towards the centre point that he'd been missing.

It illuminated a large tree set slightly in front of all the others. In front of it, amongst the protruding roots, there was a girl. Her face was turned away from the light, which was making a slight red in her brown hair stand out. Even from the distance that he was Stiles could make out injuries, a few seeping cuts and the odd bruise starting to form on her arms and forehead. The girl had her knees close to her chest, one arm draped across them while the other rested on a root.

'Hello?' the Sheriff asked tentatively, one hand resting cautiously on his gun. 'Are you alright, Miss?'

The girl's head snapped up, and Stiles noticed that his father's hand fell from the gun. The torchlight began to waver slightly, causing Stiles to jump out of the jeep, worry pulsing through him. He raced clumsily around the bonnet, resting his hand on it to try and keep himself upright.

He stopped beside his dad, resting his hand lightly on his back as he did so. His attention flicked from his father's paling face to the girl. And, in that moment, Stiles felt his heart skip a beat. His knees went slightly weak as he took a shaky step forward, something his dad didn't even attempt to stop.

'L-Livy?' he asked, his voice barely more than an uncertain whisper.

Surprisingly, he noticed that the girl smiled slightly. Her dark brown eyes shone with a weariness that he'd never expected to see on her though.

'Do I look like some old dead Roman historian?' she asked, a familiar chuckle behind her voice, despite the slight scratchiness of it.

She heaved a large sigh before going to stand up, leaning heavily on the tree truck as she did so. Her arm shook dangerously behind her, and Stiles darted forward so as to steady her. She clutched onto his jacket tightly, pinching his skin as she did so.

Stiles tilted his head slightly as he scanned her over, slouching a little so as to help her. 'You do kind of have that look going on right now,' he said, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth despite the worry that was coursing through him.

Olivia nodded her thanks as she rolled her eyes. She placed her arm around his shoulders and he quickly wrapped an arm lightly around her waist. She winced slightly, causing his eyes to widen in worry. He loosened his grip on her slightly, but she shivered as she shook her head dismissively.

'You're alright, I'm just slightly achy,' she said, patting his shoulder lightly as they began to slowly make their way towards his dad, who ran a hand worriedly through his hair. 'Evening, Sheriff,' she said cheerily, waving at him. Stiles noticed her barely suppress a grimace at the movement though, before letting her arm flop to her side with an irritated sigh.

'Olivia, what happened?' the Sheriff asked, moving forward so as to help her remain steady. The professional air that he'd had only moments earlier appeared to have slipped away, and concern seemed to ooze from him.

Olivia let out a hollow chuckle, gripping Stiles' shoulder a little tighter as they moved towards the jeep slowly. Stiles glanced quickly at her, and noticed that a look of pain crossed her face.

'We need to get you to the hospital,' Stiles muttered, before chewing his lip worriedly, his eyes trailing a cut that ran down her cheek.

But, Olivia was already shaking her head halfway through his sentence. 'I'm _not_ going to a hospital,' she said, her voice wavering slightly. Stiles couldn't place if it was with fear or from the pain though.

Stiles' dad pulled open the jeep door, helping Olivia to sit in the back as Stiles rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

'Olivia,' the Sheriff said softly, his eyes scanning her injuries as a look of unease crossed his face, 'we need to get someone to look at these.'

'Please, call Car – or even Pat – just… just don't take me to the hospital,' she said, her voice was still laced with what Stiles now placed as fear. Her eyes were wider than before as they darted between the Stilinskis. There was something almost pleading about her expression which nearly broke Stiles' heart.

Stiles sighed, patting his dad lightly on the back before motioning for him to turn around.

'Dad, if she's gonna panic in a hospital wouldn't it be best to take her to someone who knows what they're doing, but can look her over somewhere familiar?' suggested Stiles, his fingers drumming nervously on his dad's back.

His father sighed, patting him lightly on the back. 'You call Car, I'll call Melissa. She'll know how to deal with Liv,' he said, getting his phone out. 'You ready?'

Stiles nodded vigorously as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

About ten minutes later the Sheriff was sitting in the driver's seat of Stiles' car while his son sat in the back, his jacket draped around his friend's shoulders as he hugged her lightly. Her breathing was still somewhat ragged but she seemed to slowly be calming down. Every so often, however, her attention would snap to something in the darkness out of the window, causing her to panic for a few seconds as Stiles stroked her hair lightly, mumbling shushing sounds at her before she finally settled back against him.

Stiles took in the appearance of his old friend, trying not to let his attention linger on the cuts and bruises which littered her lightly tanned skin for too long. Her cheeks were glistening slightly and were a little rosy from the cold. Her hair was a mess, there was a hairband lost in it somewhere – he could just make out its blue colour over her shoulder. Her eyes, which had grown brighter over the years, appeared to have returned to a dullness that he'd last seen at her parents' wake.

He pulled her a little closer. He was glad to have his other best friend with him, especially after all the years apart, but he'd never expected this to have been the way their reunion went. He'd expected her to turn up on his doorstep, grinning the usual mischievous grin she had with her arms wide. He thought she'd say something like 'Miss me?' before tilting her head slightly and pulling him into a tight hug. He's always envisioned her arrival being something that filled him with joy, something which involved Scott and Lucy teasing him for not having realised the old gang was going to be back together so soon. He'd never expected to be worried about her when he was reunited with her. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

When they eventually pulled up outside of the Stilinski house Stiles was shocked to see Melissa was already there, pacing on the front porch while Scott lent against one of the supports. Stiles' heart was raised slightly by the sight of Scott. At least one of his best friends looked alright.

The McCalls' attentions flickered up as the car pulled up to the house. Both of them looked worn out and a little stressed, and Stiles wondered if they'd woken Melissa up with their call.

'She alright?' Scott asked, racing up beside the jeep as the Sheriff slipped out, moving slightly away from them all as he pressed his phone to his ear.

Stiles noticed that there was a nervous energy about Scott, it was as if he was bursting to share something, and Stiles thought he probably wanted to share his daring adventure story of how he got back before the call came in. But, the worry for their friend appeared to quell the desire somewhat, despite how Scott was bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Olivia shifted slightly, a smirk pulling tiredly at the corners of her mouth.

'Hey, Scotty,' she said as he pulled the passenger seat forward to let them out, 'what's up?'

'What the heck happened, Liv?' he asked, offering her a hand as Stiles placed one carefully on her back.

'Ah,' she said, a familiar amusement behind her voice that made Stiles smile slightly, 'now there, my young pup, is a story of epic proportions to share. But not right now.'

Stiles noticed the other boy roll his eyes slightly, amusement crossing over his concern for a moment, before his brow furrowed in concentration. Olivia appeared to lean heavily on Scott's hand as she got out of the car, despite how she seemed to try and avoid using the help initially.

'Right now,' said Melissa, her eyes flickering over Olivia as Stiles got out of the jeep, 'we need to check you over.'

Olivia nodded slightly, allowing Scott and Stiles to help her into the house as the Sheriff looked over at her worriedly, his phone still by his ear though.

'Have you called Car?' Olivia asked softly, looking between the two boys.

'Yeah,' said Stiles, nodding slightly as they went into the living room.

'What about Luce?' There was a definite note of worry behind her voice, and Stiles noticed that Scott tightened his grip around her shoulders slightly.

'I'll text her if you want,' Scott said, causing Olivia to nod slightly.

'Please,' she muttered.

'Right,' said Melissa, her tone sounded professional but Stiles could still see a nervous energy about her as she pulled latex gloves on, her eyes darting across Olivia's face. 'You two, out.'

The boys' faces dropped. The desire to protest the point bubbled up in Stiles, but the stern look from Melissa made him sigh. He glanced over at Olivia though, who nodded.

'Come on, buddy,' Scott said lightly, clapping him on the back.

Stiles frowned over at Olivia for a moment before allowing Scott to lead him away. He glanced back as they stepped into the hallway, watching as Olivia shrugged his jacket off. She gave him a small smile, before Melissa stepped between them. There was a sad yet reassuring smile on her face, just before she closed the door.

Stiles quickly sunk onto one of the stairs, resting his head in his hands as Scott leant against the banister beside him.

'Hey, she'll be alright,' said Scott, but his voice was laced with uncertainty.

'I hope so,' said Stiles, really wishing that she would be.


	7. Chapter Six - The Suspicions of Patrick

Oscar was pacing the living room, his hands clasped tightly behind his back, making his knuckle burn white. His footsteps echoed around the bare living room, a sound which was as steady a constant as the ticking of the clock hanging over the fireplace.

Despite how late it was he wasn't alone though, but there was an awkward silence over the group, each lost in their own thoughts. Patrick was sat on one of the as of yet unpacked boxes, his elbows resting on his knees. His dark green eyes were on his uncle, following him as he made his way across the width of the room in front of the fireplace. Lucy was leaning on the doorframe with her arms folded across her chest, hugging her cardigan close to her as if it would somehow protect her. There were tear tracks glistening on her cheeks, something Oscar always felt a pang of guilt about whenever he turned to continue with his pacing.

It was his fault that Olivia was back in Beacon Hills. His fault that she'd gone exploring that evening. His fault that, despite everything they'd been through, he hadn't impressed upon her the seriousness of the threats that lurked in the darkness of Beacon Hills. Or at least, they were the ideas that were circling his mind as he carried on pacing.

'They'll find her,' Lucy mumbled, and Oscar noticed that she nodded slightly as if to reassure herself.

Annoyance washed over Patrick's face though, and he began to wring his hands in the familiar distraction technique. 'You think they'll make her the priority when there's half a body to be found?' he asked coolly, his focus never deviating from his uncle though.

'Actually,' said Lucy, an annoyance easily noticeable behind her voice as she lent off of the doorframe with a slight creaking of wood, 'I think that's _exactly_ why they'll find her. To try and stop her being…' her voice broke off though as she gasped slightly, her hands moving quickly to cover her mouth.

None of them wanted to admit the end of that sentence given the circumstances, but they all knew where it was heading.

Oscar stopped pacing, turning his full attention towards the girl. She was shaking her head slightly, and he noticed that there were tears welling up in her eyes once more.

'I-I should've checked sh-she was there,' she said in a small voice.

Oscar moved towards her, resting a comforting hand on Patrick's shoulder for a moment as he passed him. He'd noticed the slight snarl on his nephew's face, and the whitening of his knuckles as he balled his hands on his knees. It was a bad sign, but the simple contact was enough to remind him of the control that he needed to exert.

'You did all you could,' said Oscar softly, carrying on towards Lucy, an expression of pity on his face. He rested a hand lightly on her shoulder, slowly ushering her out of the house. 'And I thank you greatly for that, Lucy.' He needed to talk to Patrick, they needed to think up a decent plan of action and they certainly couldn't do that with a panic-stricken Lucy hovering around them. 'How's about we get you home now though, I'll call you if we–'

Oscar was cut off by his phone ringing loudly though. Patrick appeared in the doorway in an instant, his eyes wide as he looked between his uncle and the phone which was on the little table by the stairs. Oscar moved away from Lucy quickly, picking the thing up without a seconds hesitation.

'Hey, Oscar,' the familiar voice of Stiles said down the phone. It didn't ring out with the familiar cheerfulness though, and Oscar felt his stomach drop.

'Hey, Stiles,' he said, trying to keep his voice steady as he noticed Lucy looking up at him, her pale green eyes shining with tears. 'You alright, kiddo?'

'We've found Livy,' said Stiles, and Oscar couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. 'But she doesn't look too good.'

Oscar closed his eyes, rubbing his eyelids with the finger and thumb of his left hand. 'Where is she?'

'We're taking her back to ours,' explained Stiles distractedly. 'Melissa's gonna look her over.'

'We'll be there soon,' Oscar said, glancing at the other two.

There was a worry on Patrick's face which softened his harsh features considerably. For a moment, he reminded Oscar of the little boy who had tried to comfort Olivia so many times before. The boy who, despite the constant teasing, shared an incredibly close bond with her. He shook the thought from his head though, focusing on the boy on the other end of the phone.

'Thanks Stiles, see you soon,' he said, before hanging up. 'Right, we'd better take you–' he started, but Lucy was already shaking her head, her hand firmly on the door handle as her eyes seemed to narrow in annoyance.

'I'm coming with you,' she said, slipping her phone out of her pocket with the other hand. 'I'll text Mom to let her know.'

Oscar nodded, unhooking the car keys from the rack on the wall, it was easier to accept her joining them than it was to try and persuade her to go home.

The drive to the Stilinski house was a silent one. Lucy's attention appeared to constantly be on her phone. A flicker of a smile appeared on her face a short distance away from the house, but that was the most reaction it gained from her. Patrick's gaze was set firmly on the world whizzing past his window, his chin resting on his hand as he lent his elbow on the car door. Oscar, however, kept his attention on the road, trying to remember the roads that led him back to the house of his close friends.

When they finally arrived the atmosphere of the house was far different to the one that Oscar had been expecting. He parked up at the end of the road, the only possible place given how busy the street appeared to be. There were a couple of police cars dotted up the road, one had it lights on but no sirens, its door wide open as if it had been totally abandoned, while the other had an officer sitting in it, leaning out of open window with boredom easily readable on his face as he tried to reason with an irritated elderly woman.

Oscar cast a curious glance over at Patrick who appeared to have perked up slightly, his eyes darting around the people who were moving about ahead of them. There were interested neighbours, dressing gowns pulled close to them as they questioned the few irritated looking deputies that had come to help. There was also a news van sitting up the other end of the street, the reporters standing close to it, their heads bowed together as if they were thinking up a plan of action.

As the trio drew close to the edge of the Stilinski house, pushing their way through the gossiping neighbours, Oscar noticed the paramedics sitting on the bumper of an ambulance. They barely glanced up as Sheriff Richard Stilinski wandered past them, too lost in their own muttered wonderings about the girl to notice.

'Everything's fine, sir,' said a young deputy was telling a terrified looking man, 'now if you'd just go back home…' she cut herself off though as she caught sight of the trio, and she hurried towards them. There was a look of irritation on her face, behind the weak mask of professionalism that she was trying for.

'They're with me,' Richard said before the woman could say anything, there was an authority to his voice that made Oscar supress a weak smirk.

The deputy looked around at her boss, a slight look of worry on her face, before she nodded firmly and went back to crowd control.

But, before Oscar could say anything he was pulled into a tight hug by Richard.

'It's good to see you, Rich,' said Oscar, pulling away lightly.

'I only wish it had been under better reunion circumstances,' said Richard, holding his hand out for Patrick.

'I'm glad to see we're keeping this low-key, Richard,' he said icily, his eyes narrowing at the proffered hand.

'Patrick, be nice,' warned Oscar in a low voice, swatting the boy lightly around the back of the head as Richard pulled Lucy into a lose side hug.

Patrick clenched his jaw, the familiar annoyance settling onto his features once more and causing Oscar to lightly squeeze the boy's shoulder.

'This way,' said Richard, waving a hand towards the front door, not without a weak nod at the young deputy from before, whose face was reddening slightly.

The atmosphere inside the house contrasted greatly with the one which was like a protective bubble around it. The house was quiet, but Oscar noticed that the radio was playing softly from the living room. Scott and Stiles, who had been having a muttered conversation – Stiles sat on the stairs while Scott leant his arms through the banisters beside his friend – had fallen silent as the group entered the hallway though.

There was a moment of awkwardness before a look of relief appeared to cross Stiles' face. He practically jumped up, moving swiftly so as to hug Oscar. Scott moved quickly to hug Lucy, brushing past Patrick as he did so. Oscar noticed that Patrick bristled slightly, shock crossing his features for a moment, before he shifted a little closer to Richard.

'How's she doing?' asked Richard, patting Stiles on the shoulder.

His son's face paled slightly, his gaze turning swiftly towards his shoes.

Stiles gulped before speaking, his attention still on his shoes as he began to use the toe of one to pick at the rubber around the edge of the other. 'Melissa's not been out for a while,' he said, rubbing a hand over his head.

Just then, however, the door creaked open, pulling all attention towards a tired looking Melissa. Her hair was a mess, strands falling onto her forehead while the rest of it appeared to be resting behind her shoulders, but only just. Her face was paler than normal, worry etched onto her features as her eyes scanned the group in front of her.

She slowly began to remove her bloodstained gloves, the horrible sound of latex peeling from sweating skin giving Oscar an indication of her worry but also setting his teeth on edge.

She placed the gloves in the pocket of her scrub shirt before pulling Oscar into a hug, rubbing small circles onto his back as she did so.

'She's all right,' she said softly, 'just resting now. I still think she'll be better in the hospital, but she seemed too worried before for it to actually have done her much good.' She pulled away, smiling slightly at her old friend, her eyes scanning him as if making sure that he was fine as well, giving Oscar the distinct feeling of being under the scrutinizing eye of a doctor himself.

He nodded slightly, patting Melissa's arm lightly. 'Thank you. We'll see if we can talk some sense into her, hey Pat?' he said, clapping Patrick lightly on the shoulder.

Patrick nodded, but Oscar noticed that his attention was still on Scott. There was a suspicion behind his eyes that set Oscar's nerves on edge – the duo usually got on quite well – but Oscar's mind was reeling with wonderings, before he ushered his nephew into the living room. He needed to check on his other charge before worrying about the concern of Patrick.

 _A/N: This'll probably be the last update for a while as I have other things to work on - I wanted to edit this anyway so it'll give me a chance ot do that. It might possibly return - I don't know yet I'm afraid - but thanks for reading it so far, it means a lot :) and sorry about that._


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